Thursday A La Carte

Here is this week's a la carte . . .

1. Here is a solid article, You Cannot Improve on God's Design for the Family.

2. Chuck Swindoll offers up encouragement in this brief video to keep praying that Christ be proclaimed among the nations!

3. Holiness is the sum of a million little things ... this is a brief excerpt from a new book coming out by Kevin DeYoung.

4. Here's Ed Welch on Making Wisdom Attractive to Children. Parents out there ... well worth the 3 minutes to watch!

5  Recently we marked the 32nd anniversary of Apollo 11's moon landing. Of course, there are a few who still believe it was all part of a conspiracy and never happened. Here's a lighter take on it all . . . 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Setting the Torch to Anxiety!

Casey James Fury is a 24 year old civilian laborer who works at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kettery, Maine. Back on May 23rd, Fury allegedly started a fire aboard the USS Miami, a nuclear powered attack submarine. It took firefighters 12 hours to get the fire under control. When it was all said and done, the sub suffered $400 million dollars in damage. That's one costly fire! And why did Fury allegedly start the fire? Fury told investigators that he was suffering from anxiety (which "started getting really bad") and therefore he wanted to get out of work early that day. So he grabbed a cigarette lighter and set some rags on fire. If convicted of arson, Fury could spent the rest of his life in prison.

Ouch! Here is an illustration of how anxiety, fear, worry can lead people to do foolish, irrational things It sure did with Casey Fury . . . but it does not have to! So what should we do when we feel our soul being gripped by anxiety and fear? Ed Welch offers up some really insightful thoughts on The Secret of Dealing with Fear and Anxiety.  IF you struggle with this (as I know I do more than I would like to admit to) ... you need to read what Ed has to say. You will be better for it! 

Thanks for stopping  by . . . 

pj

A Prayer about God's Sovereignty in My Daily Routine

All of us who claim allegiance to Jesus Christ as the Lord and King of the Universe would agree that He is indeed sovereign, that he works ALL things after the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11). Yet when it comes to accepting the outworking of his sovereign will in our lives ... especially in those times when we feel pain ... we struggle. Below is a prayer from Scotty Smith that you just might want to make yours!

      "I don’t have any problem with you setting up and sitting down presidents, premiers, and potentates. But when it comes to things that are limiting, inconvenient, or a contradiction of my sensibilities or plans, sometimes I question your focus, timing and goodness.

     Free me from such foolishness and arrogance. You’re always at work for your glory and our good. Nothing goes unnoticed before your throne of grace. There’s no lapse in communication. Wires never get crossed in heaven. You’ve promised to do all things well, not make all things easy."

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

What is Most Important in Life?

All of us have numerous items that compete for our attention and our efforts. But of these, what is THE most important?  Sinclair Ferguson suggests an answer. I offer it to you for some reflection on this Lord's Day.

"What is the most important thing in the world to every Christian? It is to grow in the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is the heart of salvation and of all true spiritual experience. Knowing Him is what we were created for. It will occupy us throughout all eternity. In Scripture, it is almost equivalent to salvation. Jesus said that eternal life, or salvation, means knowledge of God: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3, ESV). To be a Christian is not a mindless experience, but involves knowledge and understanding. It means a personal relationship and personal acquaintance with the Lord." 

(How Great Is Our God: Timeless Daily Readings on the Nature of God)

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Anxanity!

An ... what???  Anxanity!  This is a word that came out of the mouth of a friend recently. He was trying to explain some feelings of anxiety he was having ... and got caught between the word "anxiety" and the word "insanity." What came out was "anxanity."

As I thought about that ... I thought, "Wow! That's not a bad word!" How so? Think with me for a moment. Anxiety is basically the feelings we have that are born out of fear. Fear that our needs won't be met. Fear that danger is lurking around the corner for us or a loved one. Fear that "life" is about to take a wrong turn. Because of these fears we worry. We grow anxious. But for the one who professes faith in Christ .... it is literally an act of  insanity to allow anxiety to dominate our lives. Simply put, insanity is wrong thinking. And it is wrong thinking that leads to fear. If we truly believe that God is in control and that his promises to be with us and to care for us are promises he will back up ... then it is insane to worry (see Psalm 27:1, 3; Matthew 6:25-34).

So if you are feeling some "anxanity" beginning to darken your mind ... recall some of God's promises. And remind yourself of his faithfulness that is great ... and new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-25)!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Thursday's A La Carte

Here's a few things from here and there that you might find to be of interest:

1. Tim Challies offers up some thoughts on eHarmony.  With so many turning to the Internet for an increasing number of reasons (including finding that special someone), this is a good read!

2. There are some 600 million people with disabilities in our world. What is God's purpose in all of this? David Murray offers some insights. 


3. Here is Scotty Smith with a prayer for the discouraged.  I just love the prayers that Scotty writes!


4. Ed Welch on the topic, Let's Talk about Money. Another good read!

5. A quick (and powerful) quote (from J.I. Packer's book, The J.I. Packer Classic Collection): "It is no accident that Christians down through the centuries have typically prayed on their knees. In kneeling, the body reminds the mind that God (not the person praying) is in charge."  


6. On a lighter note . . . (for you non football fans, Desmond Howard played for Michigan ... Ohio State's hated rival!)

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Here's My Two Cents!

In a recent email, a friend offered up an idea to me and then closed by writing, "just my two cents worth."  Did you ever wonder where this expression “two cents worth” came from?  I did some research, and there are two dominant theories.  The first dates back to the years 1883 – 1932.  During this time, a first class stamp cost two cents (can you believe it?  No price increases for almost 40 years!  You talk about “the good old days!”).  So if a person wrote a letter to the editor to express his or her opinion it would cost two cents to do so.  Hence he was offering his two cents!  The other theory states that the expression “two cents worth” arose to simply mean “of little worth.”  When a writer stated he was offering his two cents it was his humble way of saying what he had to offer might not be all that valuable a contribution.  So bottom line – you can take your pick.  Either one makes “cents” to me!  

This is basically what I do on my blog - offer you my two cents on some random topics.  It may not be worth a whole lot – but I hope I get you to think. Today consider the date on the calendar. It is July 17th. That means that this summer (June-August) is half over. Soon, we will be raking the leaves from our yards, wondering where the good old days of summer went! But time is like that. As God reminds us ... our life is like a puff of steam ... here today, gone tomorrow (well really even quicker than that! - see James 4:14). So, if we really want to live a life that makes a difference for God and HIS kingdom, then we had better get at it and quit pursuing trivia! And that’s my two cents!  

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj